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TheFatRat: Meet the EDM DJ who's elevated video game music to high art
If you don't know the face you'll know the beats. Composer of melodies for Dota 2 and Rocket League, here's how Christian Büttner became one of the most influential music makers in the gaming world.
There are DJs whose output is simply the pinnacle of their genre. There are jack of all trades like Diplo. And then there is an artist from Göttingen, Germany, who has managed to make a name for himself with over seven million fans across two different scenes. Thanks to his catchy melodies and a shedload of talent, Christian Büttner, aka TheFatRat, appeals to both gamers and EDM aficionados.
Video games started as a niche but developed into the most comprehensive form of art
He doesn't believe in copyright
Making his name with virtual turntables instead of club appearances, Büttner's steep climb is reminiscent of the Norwegian Alan Walker ("Fade/Faded") or his compatriot and tropical house pioneer Kygo. It all started with a YouTube channel (2011) and only a few thousand subscribers – though what truly sets TheFatRat apart is the unconventional path he's blazed by consistently foregoing copyright on YouTube and other social platforms, allowing fans to get creative with his works entirely for free. All tracks were accessible to everyone – and still are today.
"The fact that I have my own label The Arcadium today does not change my approach. I want people to have fun with my music and I'm happy when I come across creative remixes, Minecraft videos, dance choreographies or piano versions of my music on YouTube or Soundcloud,” says the DJ and gaming music producer in an interview with RedBull.com. You can see the entire documentary about the artist below...
10 min
TheFatRat: Everything you ever wanted to know about him
From Super Nintendo to turntable, Christian Büttner aka TheFatRat became a star overnight with his track “Unity”. Here you will find everything you ever wanted to know about him
His big breakthrough came in 2014 with melodic glitch hop track Unity, after YouTube star Fernanfloo from El Salvador, who boasted some 34.8 million subscribers, used the song in the intro/outro of his clips. Unity would go from a few hundred plays to up to 250,000 plays a day, and, together with follow-up songs including Windfall, Xenogenesis and Monody, TheFatRat's music would eventually amass north of 170 million plays online.
One aspect shared by all of the Göttinger's tracks stems from the artist's orchestra roots, which he owes to his mother, who still leads a music school today. While the 40-year-old himself was an ace on the ivories in his youth, he now partly composes his tracks without instruments, entirely in his own head.
He's the go-to superstar DJ for esports brands
In the ranking of the most successful German music channels on YouTube, the trained sound engineer leaves numerous big names in his wake, with 4.2 million subscribers; more than Robin Schulz (2.9 million) and Felix Jaehn (340,000) put together. Abetted by the influence of the gaming scene, it is quite possible that TheFatRat will break the 10 million barrier in the not too distant future and replace the YouTube Golden Creator Award in his studio in Göttingen with the Diamond version.
It speaks volumes for his craft that one of his biggest performances didn't come at a traditional music arena or festival, but at gaming tournament ESL One in front of 15,000 fans in the Cologne Lanxess Arena. And what does Christian Büttner do when he is not on stage or working on new background melodies for Dota 2 or Rocket League? He plays video games, including shooters such as Rainbow Six, retro games like Monkey Island or – together with daughter Flavia, aged four, a round of Mario Kart: "Video games started as a niche but developed into the most comprehensive form of art," says the DJ whose gamer name is still his stage name to this day.
Want to know why TheFatRat ended up in the volcanic landscape on Iceland for his first official music video (coming February 7), and what his single The Storm has to do with the film Avatar? Then stay tuned to RedBull.com
